One hour van conversion with Wayfarer Vans Kit
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- APRIL 2019: MILLIE THE VAN NOW HAS A NEW OWNER! Shanna had to reluctantly sell her van as she now lives overseas. However, we're leaving this video here, shot in November 2017, for your information and entertainment....
For more info and questions on Wayfarer vans, see: wayfarervans.com
A lot of people have asked about shower and potty arrangements, and Shanna adds:
'I use a simple bucket-type portapotty called the Reliance Hassock toilet:
US Link: amzn.to/2r0ecdO
UK Link: amzn.to/2GEtjYt
(but mostly for late nights--I use public restrooms where possible).
And for showers, I have a popup tent and 12v powered hand-held shower--it works great.
Shower tent:
US Link: amzn.to/3nEWsDs
UK Link: amzn.to/36WJPhc
12v powered shower:
US Link: amzn.to/2SP5bo8
UK Link: amzn.to/2GMTzzP
GEAR LIST - averagewhitevan.com/gear/
Select links for products mentioned:
Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station
US Link: amzn.to/2SOZxlW
UK Link: amzn.to/2qZYVtE
Renogy 50-watt Solar Panel
US Link: amzn.to/30VRY1u
UK Link: amzn.to/36TPnJ7
Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini:
US Link: amzn.to/34LMyaz
UK Link: amzn.to/2GSSExB
Orca 20 qt. Cooler:
US Link: amzn.to/30UEtPD
UK Link: amzn.to/3iPUHj9
2-burner Propane Camp Stove
US Link: amzn.to/2IcoyFI
UK Link: amzn.to/3lFEcIl
These are Amazon affiliate links which will earn me a modest commission at zero additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Fantastic video but have to ask......bathroom/shower?
Hi Brian! I use a simple bucket-type portapotty called the Reliance Hassock toilet: amzn.to/2r0ecdO (but mostly for late nights--I use public restrooms where possible). And for showers, I have a popup tent and 12v powered hand-held shower--it works great >> amzn.to/2wCG5Mk and amzn.to/2yOKPSZ Let me know if you have any more questions!
👍
Thank you so much! I have this vehicle and have been using 3 camping tables and a MyPillow pillow topper. From the back doors I have 2 sets of 3 Tupperware types of drawers. I also have the yet I 400 and used to sell them. They are gems! Where is your email address I cannot find it in the threads here.
you can reach me at hello@averagewhitevan.com :)
Trees 🌲
Lots of trees nearby suffice as bathroom.
Okay, granted, don't interrupt the yoga class by being too loud.
Neighborhood pools are great for showering.
I like to soap up, shampoo my hair fully and then quickly jump off the diving board yelling OZZY!!
You'll have a good minute or two of pure shock and confusion before the I'M CALLING THE POLICE threat and by that time you're already applying the body powder and putting on your undies.
"Most important thing,the tea kettle" you are now an honourary Englishwoman. Good lass....
Great looking kit. Just what u need, simply, clean lines. Happy travelling to you and Milo.
Love the set up! And the insulation. So much better than what people usually put in for insulation.
Some really REALLY great ideas! Effectively bridging the gap between full-on conversion and just having a cool efficient road-tripper. Roll on sister!
Oh my - I like that sudden change of music/mood when you said your dog Milo. LOL
Really clever kit. Very satisfying compartments with so much storage. Well done.
Great info, very inspiring and well presented. I really like that you still have use of your vehicle both ways.
Thanks Shanna. Great information on the function of the Wayfarer van. As for sleeping, I did the math on the length of the cushions and I think that if a taller person wanted to sleep as a single without folding out the bed, they could turn the front box cushion 90 degrees and extend the bed cushion over the kitchen. It might be a bit narrow but wouldn't require a full set up. As for the people that are complaining about the cost: They are forgetting all the time that the owner of Wayfarer put in designing the components and trial and error in getting them right. They also seem to forget floor and insulation and think it's just the boxes that are 5 grand. When you add it all up, it's a good deal for someone who wants to get on the road and not spend many weeks (months) converting a cargo van
Profit is a bad word... depending on what side of the sales counter you stand on....
I loved the simplicity of your van and yet very practical it’s different features. I also loved the idea of having that solar battery which could be replaced the solar panel.
Thank you! I'm headed toward van life very soon and have watched many conversions....yours has been great, especially for women!
Really liked the Goal Zero solar set up! Very clever and well thought out!!
That's a good van build, esp. with the short, short, short build time. Worth the price to save on the headache of trial and error when building yourself.
Looks clean and well organized.
Brilliantly designed Shanna. It would do me well to travel around creating my crafts and selling them at markets around the country. Love the cooler box and generator.
Lovely and now she's living in Portugal, what a luck. Thank you for sharing !
Very cool system. I can see potential usage for small cargo trailer conversions, too.
Love the simplicity of this small camper van
Some very well thought-out clean and simple solutions with clear explanations of choices made in the design and use. Good video, Andrew.
Cheers Gary!
This is so well thought out for safety & practical use. Wise lady .
Smart lady. This is the best van system I have seen.
Great video after a rough start ; ) ... I like your simple solutions specially the solar approach. Look forward to more updates.
Hey, great video! It’s nice to see a close up look at a Wayfarer van. And it’s nice to see Shanna on video. She’s a great ambassador!
Thanks :)
Thanks! I’ve been studying van-campers for eons, and this system could work for me. I wouldn’t even have to magically become a carpenter.
I think that's one of the beauties of it Barbara, it's all pre-shaped and ready to go in. All the best.
Andrew Ditton the kit?
You could pay a carpenter to build this for way cheaper
I'm in love with this setup. Simply wonderful!!!
I was looking at the big Promaster after selling my truck and trailer. The mainstream RV stuff has just gone crazy big and i wanted to go back to minimalist. I looked at the City after seeing WF vans for rent up the road in SLC. I thought I would buy the WF kit, but there were too many problems for me. First, the PMC is a fantastic van, completely useful for everyday life. But you need it in a cargo configuration, or I do, so all the camping stuff has to either fit or come out of the van. The boxes are more work than I want. It's a nice insulation kit, and I thought about buying it, separately. But I bought $200 worth of Thinsulate and put that in the van. I also have a barrier between the front, to help on cold nights. The insulation made the van much quieter. I love how quiet it is.
The electrical system is another minor gripe for me with the WF. I bought 50 watt flex panels, which are easy to store, very thin and light, and a lithium generator like the GZ. Yes, put that out in the sun. It makes complete sense. I might put a flex panel on top. I did want a 12v Danfoss compressor fridge. They are incredibly efficient, so you have cold storage with no real hassles except power. The way the PMC is set up, I am using DC power modules to get a charge into a couple of small AGM batteries (plus I have the lithium generator). You have to get comfortable with charging from the engine while driving, plus solar, and storage, but the fridge has low amp hour requirements. For supporters of Bob Wells, the 12v fridge is kind of a basic building block.
I wanted a real chair with back support. So I have a nice lawn chair, a folding Walmart table, a floor pad from Jet.com, made for the PMC, and a roll up mattress with sleeping bag. The stuff is going into Cabelas duffles that hang down in back. I use a powder toilet.
I learned a lot, looking at the WF designs. In the end, they have gone in the direction of relatively fixed (not entirely flexible) boxes. It's good to get ideas out there, to convince people that a very basic, high gas mileage cargo van can make a nice camper. There are just so many problems with big RV's, with huge trucks, with all the places you can't go, when you go big. I hope the momentum in vans continues to build.
This is a great video, for Wayfarer, and for the concept.
Shanna you rock!!! Thanks for the good info, especially the energy setup. Amazon sells that Renology panel and also the small GoalZero or something similar. Gathering a lot of info for when I get on the road. Happy Trails to you!
Fantastic video showing all the details of the van and how easy it is to get out there and explore. Very clever on the functionality (multi use) of the boxes and configuration. Gave me inspiration, as a single woman, to be adventurous and safe at the same time. Great ideas and suggestions on power sources. Will definitely be looking into this kit and possibly the larger Wayfarer van kit for the Promaster Van.
I never thought about portable solar thanks for useful info!
What a great conversion and so well manufactured and designed. And what a great presenter Shanna is.
Downunda - Melbourne Australia
Thank you, Downunda!
Finally, someone else that chose the simple and mobile power system! The non-mounted solar panel and battery is the exact route I plan on using when I get my vehicle done.
I like this system because it lookssimple, elegant and easy to use, plus it's easy to convert back to a cargo van. Brilliant.
Shanna, such a cool set-up, thanks for sharing. Envious of your sunny weather… happy camping!!!
That makes two of us envious of the California sun, Katherine! :)
Really enjoyed the video. Shanna is a great ambassador for Wayfarer. This is an amazing kit, it offers such an incredible use of storage. I would like to do something similar, a bit bigger of space as I have two German Shepherds, and a Shih-Tzu.
Thanks Shanna, happy travels to you and Milo!
Thank you for your kind words, Shavauna! And check out the Wayfarer kit for the big van (we call him Walter).
Totally love this. I love the ford transit connect and its spaciousness and gas milage. Im not handy though, so this type of a conversation kit could work. Im going to look into it further. thanks for the awesome video. Will be back!
Nice to see how they do it. Very minimalist!
You what true minimalism van life is ?An empty van.
Omg! This solves so many problems I was thinking about! I love these ideas!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
This is absolutely my retirement plan!😃👍🏻
Great 👍 set up. Loved the tour & explanation about the thought process behind the decision to choose one option over another. Definite 👍 from me.
Cheers T1!
Wow, that's really impressive and opens up a whole world of possibilities. Thanks very much!
Glad you found it inspiring, Leslie!
Very nicely thought out, really like the simple, convenient and minimalist design. Great that the van is inconspicuous, except at least circa 12,000 people worldwide know about it now!
But the good news is that there are probably about 12,000 white Ram Promaster Citys in the US as well ;@)
Awesome simple set up..Very organized..Well done video..Thank you for the video..Have a blessed day..
Great Point with the solar panel and having to stay in the sun - never thought of that! Lots of inspiring info in this video - Thank you!
I love your van is cozy and practic. Thanks for give me ideas for my Renault Kangoo. From the Canary islands Spain wish you the best.
You're so right. I never even thought about having to keep your van in full sun in order to retain solar. And I really like that kit. Very simplistic and functional.
how does a person get a response from the person who does the video? do you kno?
Looks great! Love the simplicity of your build. It’s giving us ideas for our next upgrade to our tiny camper SUV!
Thanks both of you. That was really interesting. What a lovely, simple way of travelling!
Very intelligent setup, thank you for sharing enjoy your trips look forward to seeing more of your work.
Very goog idees for Isolation- and Power-System. I will copy it for my new Fiat Dobló selfmade mini camper. Thanks for this video!
Excellent. I’m headed towards getting and doing this!
I love your solar power set-up. This one has appealed to me most because it doesn't require me to punch holes in the vehicle plus the portability is amazing. I want to copy this one. Thank you for sharing.
There are some great ideas there, aren't there? Glad you found it useful.
Andrew Ditton I'm currently in Asia and here we have the really tiny "toy" vans / minivans that falls under the "kei car" classification and I'm thinking of turning one into a mini camper. These little guys have good engines, some are even 4x4 already. I won't be going "full time touring" but would love to have a vehicle for the weekend getaways. I'm loving the ideas I'm seeing in this video. So thank you for sharing this one.
You may also want to add Japan and South Korea to your list of future destinations. We have something similar to NEC recreational vehicles show too. Also, you might find it surprising that China is another country with a booming market for campers and motorhomes.
Oh how I would L-O-V-E to visit Japan and South Korea, what an amazing trip that would be! Maybe something to think about for the future.
I love the little Kei cars--those vans are darling!
@@anninriverside755 I believe the ones that you're seeing in the USA or abroad are the big campers usually built on Isuzu trucks because those are the ones that can be imported (usually 2nd hand) because kei cars are not road legal in the USA and Europe because of the engine.
The biggest campers that sell here are often built on kei cars and under the JP¥5,000,000.00
Kei cars are easily turned into campers because we can fold the seats flat which can easily sleep two people. Honda N-Van which is the most popular kei car here even have the configuration called N-Van Access where accessories can be bought to easily turn the car into a camper.
Thank you great video! Just got my Van today I cant wait to get it all set up!
Thanks all, for your kind comments--this was fun, Andrew :)
Shanna Trenholm hey I was wondering if you had time to talk to me. I'm just like you, but very much starting out I had some van questions and some safety questions? Please let me know. Ty
@@RochelleLJones ... she said at the end we can email her, look in the description box to see if her info is in there.
I can't believe I am finally asking but everyone says links in discription and I dont know where to find that! How much did you pay for your goalzero and what size power ( sorry I don't even know how to ask what I am asking ) lol
@Tig Sullivans... if you look for a small arrow on the bottom right corner of the video (don’t expand it), that has a drop down for all the details and links you need.
Shanna Trenholm
I found your site but not how to subscribe!
Great stuff. Very clever and practical. Thank you.I've watched a number of your Scottish Highlands and islands videos. Living here in Scotland I get occasional chances ( which I relish) to take a CalMac ferry. Having just bought a Skoda Superb estate, I am now toying with the idea of sleeping in it as I do the western isles.
Less is more, sometimes keep it simple is a best ethos. Nice to see basic comfort and a solution that is devoid of clutter and superfluous gadget's. Also love the elegance and duality of the concept.......brave choice, kudos....
Wonderful - we are just starting to build our interior on a 170 wheel base Sprinter and these are some great ideas.
I like ur choice. It's simple yet handy and less headache.
I really like the van build, and also your more portable solar system. I’m definitely filling this away for my future van build!
THIS IS SOOOO SMART!!! THANK YOU FOR CREATING THIS VIDEO!!! IT'S SUPER CLEAN TOO!! YES!!!!
Great!
Immense gratitude dear ! Much love and many blessings
Great tips, especially reasons for NOT mounting the solar panel!And love Average White Band, one of my favorites!
oooh I love it!! I'm looking to do the same soon
Very tidy, very minimalist, very very cool
Great informative video and a very beautiful presenter. I really like the solar idea of not having to use rooftop panels or an inverter. Thanks!
WARFARE van kits
Sorry, I really enjoyed the video. I think I could use that instead of building it all myself. Thanks!
Inspiration inspiration inspiration! ...and beautifully presented! Thank you 😊 🙏 ☺️
Thank you, Shanna is an inspiration, isn't she? :)
Awesome video!!!!! I'm seriously thinking of doing exact layout with a Nissan NV 200
I liked thank you for the tip you are very smart and i love your ideas Im getting a van this year but a little bigger i like to have ac and heatee and a little refigerator
That Milo insert is great. Nice idea the kit.
Great video! Thanks for keeping it posted. We all can still benefit from it.
Very cleverly and tastefully done! Great job!!
This is fantastic for people like me who want to travel a week or two at a time.
Great kit. Lovely lady. Stay safe and healthy all.🤗
Thanks Andrew for this video.
I love the ease and simplicity of this design. I reckon one could lift the kitchen boxes up on the box that sits across the centre of the van if the weather were rainy or windy and prepare some simple food inside the van. That is something I am looking for. All the kits seem to be geared for outdoor food prep... won't work comfortably with the crazy modern irish summers. Such a pity Wayfarer s not available in Ireland/ Europe. I love the simplicity and ingenuity of Ian Horgan's kit. Thank you Shauna for demo. G Ire
Enjoyed watching...love the way fair built.. easy at 1 hr... goodness.
An innovative, timely AND useful product.
Nice job well done love your outdoor spirit.
Great video Shanna and I think you have thought things out well. The cooler and your power source without needing solar panels makes sense. Esp when you mentioned people park in the sun and you do not need to with your power source.
I have the European version of this van. Fiat Doblo but I use it for work so I like this set up.
There is a UK company called Amdro alternative campervans
Top tip thanks Steven, I'll check out Amdro... it would be great to do a European version of this video! Cheers.
I thought that I was the only one who spotted the Doblo. In South Africa we get the Fiat version...
Thats a great build and love the shower reco! Thank you!
Thank you, Shanna. I am almost surely going to purchase the Promaster City and the Wayfarer kit based on comparisons and your video. People who are handy underestimate the incredible value of a ready-made kit, not to mention something I could remove if necessary. We single women travelers, writers in particular, can be thrilled at having a regular car for driving around town and a "stealth" little camper for occasional trips. Yes, safety is sadly a great concern but following your blog and others helps me believe this is a fine option. Minimalist is what I want. Meets all my needs. Ford guy said Ford Transit Connects hold their value better than Dodge, but I believe the instant conversion kit will solidify my decision. Great ambassador!
What a great van kit, so versatile. Thanks for sharing!
Our pleasure!
Thanks Shanna & Andrew for this-great ideas for what we do next assuming the sale of our Hymer goes through OK here in France. They've got the chassis number wrong on my carte grise (logbook) & also my date of birth wrong. Good links from Wayfarer's site to European options-thanks again & all the best for your adventures. ❤
how would i get a response from shanna or andrew after posing a question on here? do u kno?
Simple but very clever. Like it!
Excellent information! Excellent delivery!
This is a great video extremely clear and useful. Im thinking about buying the wayfer kit and this video helps build my purchase confidence
That`s brilliant, please do keep the video up. I`m going to rig my Volkswagen Caddy the same way.
Lovely video!!!!! Yes she is a natural!! So cool!! That battery pack is so cool!!
Great video love the way it converts back to basic van so easy👍
Thanks Patrick!
Wonderful. Simple and practical arrangement. Thank you, I'll share it with friends.
Wow, you are a natural!! Thanks for the info
Great explanation on the power situation. Thank you!
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing this. I have a Dodge Grand Caravan and I think I can use some of your ideas!
Wow thanks. Didn't know of such thing. The new kit sounds right for my future van plan. Yay
Simple,neat,clean.and really cute...perfect 👍💁
great tips, resources and inspiration. Thanks, Erica
i love it. that's about what I need for myself. thanx. very helpful.
Beautiful!! I like the van too!
Love your set up 😀😀
Thank you SO much for this information. I have been looking for something like this for months.
Thank you for sharing! I hope we cross paths one day!
Excellent job making this video! Thank you for this info!